Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn has affirmed Việt Nam’s strong commitments to multilateralism, international solidarity and joint efforts for peace and development in the world.
Addressing a ministerial-level online open discussion of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on May 7 (US time), Sơn said that multilateral cooperation played a key role amid the current global challenges, including arms races, terrorism, trans-national crime, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.
He recalled the UNSC’s commitments in promoting multilateralism, abiding by the UN Charter and building international order based on international law as stated in the UNSC President’s Statement in January 2020 when Việt Nam held the rotating Presidency.
Sơn called on the international community to promote the culture of complying with the UN Charter and international law, opposing power politics and the use of force in international relations.
He underlined the need to continue strengthening collaboration between the UN and regional organisations, while highlighting the central role and efforts of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in dealing with regional and international issues.
The minister also encouraged multilateral institutions, including the UNSC, to work harder in reform towards increasing transparency, democracy, efficiency and the representation of member countries.
On the occasion, he recalled that Việt Nam’s Điện Biên Phủ Victory on May 7, 1954 played an important role in promoting the movement of struggling for peace, independence, national liberation and anti-imperialism, helping to facilitate democratisation in the international system with the UN being the centre and Việt Nam being a member.
At the session, President of the UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir stressed the crucial role of multilateralism in the settlement of peace and security issues in the world.
He showed deep concern about the situation in hotspots such as Myanmar and Syria, while calling for the enhancement of international cooperation in coping with global challenges such as conflicts, hunger and poverty, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Participants reaffirmed their support for multilateralism and the UN-centred international system, calling all parties to uphold the UN Charter and fundamental principles of international law. They also highlighted their commitments to promoting multilateral cooperation in the settlement of common matters./.
All comments [ 21 ]
Vietnam has made active, proactive and increasingly substantial contributions to the UN’s activities, upholding the role of the UN and multilateralism, and promoting respect for the UN Charter and international law, equal relations between countries, and self-determination of nations.
Vietnam has also opposed acts of oppression, aggression and unilateral embargo in international relations, while contributing to the discussion and adoption of many important UN resolutions and declarations on development cooperation.
Vietnam has been evaluated by the UN and the international community as a successful example of the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and a country that is seriously determined in realising the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
The country has always actively promoted reform of the UN and is one of the countries taking the lead in the implementation of the UN’s “Delivering as One” initiative and actively participating in UN peacekeeping operations.
With its effective and responsible contributions, Vietnam has been trusted by the international community to hold many positions, and has left strong imprints in many important UN agencies.
We affirm Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development, and proactively and actively participating in multilateral mechanisms, contributing to building a fair, rules-based international political and economic order.
Vietnam’s multidirectional foreign policy has its origins in Doi Moi, the
economic reforms brought about at the 1986 Sixth Party Congress.
Vietnam took numerous steps to positively engage with the international
community.
Ultimately, Vietnam’s multidirectional foreign policy serves its national interest of maintaining a peaceful and stable environment, protecting national independence and sovereignty and boosting Vietnam’s position to bolster national construction and defence.
I will then focus on the three mechanisms through which Vietnam carries out its multidirectional foreign policy – strategic/comprehensive partnerships, trade agreements and multilateralism – and how these three mechanisms allow Vietnam to bolster itsnational construction and hedge against potential threats.
Multidirectionalism bears several lexical titles: omni-directionalism, multi-vectorism, and diversified foreign policies are notable interchangeable terms.
Multidirectionalism can also be a useful policy in pursuing a hedging strategy, which is all the more useful in the multipolar world.
Vietnam will elevate bilateral and multilateral relations in the time to come as stated in the draft documents submitted to the ongoing 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
Vietnam will make efforts to make its bilateral relations more substantive and effective, focusing on increasing political trust.
Currently, the CPV has a resolution to enhance Vietnam's multilateral relations in a spirit that the country will both actively and proactively engage in multilateral mechanisms and initiatives.
Vietnam has joined nearly 20 free trade agreements, which means the country’s trade and investment space is very large. For a country like Vietnam, with its current level of development, this is a great international integration effort.
The task for Vietnam now is to better its policy system and infrastructure, especially digital facilities, so that it can participate in the world’s playgrounds more confidently and practically.
Vietnam will make every effort to effectively and responsibly implement its international commitments as well as those to multilateral institutions.
Viet Nam is ‘duty-bound’ to help strengthen the UN, world’s largest multilateral organization.
Viet Nam has engaged in cooperation and experience sharing with many countries, including support provided to those worst affected by the pandemic and to the common international efforts.
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